Eleven new criminal case dockets on incidents of violence and deaths recorded during the 2020 and 2024 elections have been prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and forwarded to the Attorney-General’s office for action.
The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, announced this at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday.
He said the action follows investigations by a special task force set up by the Ministry and the Ghana Police Service to ensure justice for victims and hold offenders accountable for election-related offences.
Mr Mubarak said so far, twenty-one suspects have been identified through witness statements, scene visits, reconstruction of crime scenes, and forensic and ballistic examinations of evidence.
He said the investigations have led to the preparation of eleven new case dockets for prosecution.
“Four of the suspects have been arrested and granted police inquiry bail, while five others have been remanded in prison custody,” he said.
According to the minister, the task force’s findings cover violent incidents that occurred in both the 2020 and 2024 general elections, which together claimed 9 lives and left more than 32 people injured in seven regions: Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono East, Savannah, Northern, Upper East and Upper West.
He said many of the cases under review involved the misuse of firearms by some political party supporters and the use of live ammunition by some security personnel during crowd-control operations at polling stations and collation centres.
“The government is determined to bring closure to these incidents and prevent a recurrence in future elections,” Mr Mubarak said.
The announcement marks the first major progress since the violent incidents recorded during the 2020 elections, when police confirmed more than 60 cases nationwide, including shootings at Techiman South, Odododiodio and Ablekuma Central, which led to the death of five people.
Similar incidents were reported during the 2024 elections in parts of the Ashanti, Bono East and Savannah Regions, which generated public concern about electoral security. Civil society organisations, including the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), documented several cases of gun injuries and called for justice for victims.
Mr Mubarak said the preparation of new dockets and the ongoing prosecutions form part of measures to strengthen accountability within the country’s security and justice systems.
“We will not allow these cases to gather dust. Those responsible will face the full rigours of the law,” he stated.
He said recommendations from the investigative task force would be used to guide future reforms in crowd-control operations, coordination among security agencies, and the training of personnel to prevent election-related violence.
Source: Graphic.com.gh